Instruction offered by members of the School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures in the Faculty of Arts.

Junior Courses

Linguistics 201

Introduction to Linguistics I

Introduction to the scientific study of language, including the analysis of word, sentence, and sound structure, and the exploration of language as a human, biological, social, and historical phenomenon.

Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Antirequisite(s):Credit for Linguistics 201 and either 205 or 207 will not be allowed.

A comprehensive exploration of contemporary English, based on modern linguistic analysis, but also includes traditional grammatical terminology, as well as language change, attitudes to language varieties and problems in usage. Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0) Also known as:(formerly Linguistics 321)

An investigation of the nature of persuasive messages from the perspective of linguistic theory. Topics may include truth and falsity, implication, ambiguity, and context-dependence.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)

Survey and analysis of the varieties of English currently spoken in the world, including various dialects, especially Canadian and American, and English-based pidgins and creoles.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)

The leading music genre known as rap is dominated by language. How this creatively flourishing art-form relates to language science. An examination of the manipulation of sounds, words, grammar, and meaning in rap, and what it reveals about language in the mind and in society.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)

Theory and practice of phonological analysis: the classical phoneme; distinctive features and their organization; methods of analysis; underlying and surface representations; rules and derivations.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 201.Notes:Linguistics 341 should be taken either before or concurrently with Linguistics 303.

The nature of the linguistic resources used to create, enhance and justify positions of dominance or subordination, or to influence and persuade populations. Examples drawn from the discourse of gender and ethnic relations, government and business.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)

Introduction to basic ideas and issues in first- and second-language acquisition. Adopts a linguistic approach, viewing language acquisition as the acquisition of a “mental grammar”, looking at examples from sound, sentence structure, word learning and meaning. Focus on defining the essential properties of an explanatory theory of language acquisition.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 201.

Intensive practice in the perception, production and transcription of speech sounds accompanied by an introduction to the physiology and acoustics of speech.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 201.Notes: Preference in enrolment is given to students who have declared a Major in Linguistics. Registration information can be found on the Enrolment Services website: http://ucalgary.ca/registrar/. Linguistics 341 should be taken either before or concurrently with Linguistics 303.

An overview of central issues in the study of language and its relationship to the human mind. Topics may include the nature/nurture debate, human specialization for language, and theories of mental representation.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 201.

Central topics in the study of language change including: principles and methods of linguistic reconstruction; universals, typologies, and the explanation of language change; sources of language change with a consideration of acquisitional and sociolinguistic factors.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 201.

An introduction to important changes and stages in the history of English including its Indo-European and Germanic origins and a consideration of Modern English grammar and orthography from a historical perspective.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 201.Also known as:(English 381)

A theoretically grounded approach to syntax using data from a variety of languages. Constructing and evaluating syntactic hypotheses. May involve collecting data from a native speaker of a foreign language.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 301.

Continuing study of conventional meaning accompanied by an introduction to some technical tools used in the field of semantics. Topics may include: compositionality, sets and functions, tense, aspect, modality, and event semantics.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 319.

Continuing study of the anatomy, physiology, and acoustics of speech and related issues in speech research, paralleled by laboratory work in the acoustic and physiological analysis of speech.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 341.

A survey of major schools of linguistic thought. Focus on the origin and development of concepts central to contemporary linguistic theory.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 301 or 303.

Theoretical approaches to current topics in the field of historical linguistics. Research methods and practical skills in data collection and analysis.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 353.

Study of the unity and diversity of the world's languages. How do the grammars of individual languages differ from each other, and in what ways are they all alike? Which characteristics are common across languages, and which are rare? An overview of the methodology and main results of typological research. Students work with data from unfamiliar languages.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 201 and 301.

A survey of issues in morphological theory.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 401 and 407.Antirequisite(s):Credit for Linguistics 507 and either 551.02 or 599.13 will not be allowed.

Exploration of a selected topic related to current research in language acquisition. Topics may include current research on a specific population of learners, a particular research methodology, and the acquisition of a specific learning problem (e.g., phonotactics, intonation, binding, quantification).Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 416.MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT

Central issues in the logical semantics of natural language, focusing on topics such as quantification, scope, and the interpretation of pronouns.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Philosophy 279 or 377. Philosophy 371 or Linguistics 319 recommended.Antirequisite(s):Credit for Linguistics 509 will not be allowed.Also known as:(Philosophy 519)

A survey of the indigenous languages of the Americas, including classifications of language families and structural analysis of selected languages.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 301 or 303.

Introduction to basic statistical concepts, methods of analysis, and quantitative modelling techniques, with a focus on their application to the unique properties of language research and linguistic data.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Consent of the Linguistics Division of the School.

Introduction to programming methods for the development and searching of text corpora, as well as the design and implementation of studies using open source software. Study design will be introduced through critical reading of studies covering a range of syntactic and semantic phenomena. Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 319 and 401.

Open only to Honours students who are in the last year of their program. Students are expected to carry out a specific research project under the supervision of a staff member and submit a thesis acceptable to the Linguistics Division of the School.Course Hours:6 units; F(3S-0)

Only where appropriate to a student's program may graduate credit be received for courses numbered 500-599. Admission to all 600-level courses is with consent of the School in addition to any other prerequisites which may be stated.

Linguistics 600

Introduction to Graduate Studies in Linguistics

This course provides an introduction to areas of research and theoretical orientations in which faculty in this department specialize, as well as to research and professional skills.Course Hours:1.5 units; Q(2-0)NOT INCLUDED IN GPA

An advanced course in phonological theory with focus on analytical and critical skills required for conducting phonological research.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Linguistics 403 and consent of the program.

Seminar in the analysis of a selected language or language familyCourse Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s): Consent of the program.Notes: Consult the program regarding topics offered in any given year as topics vary. Not offered every year.MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT

Introduction to basic statistical concepts, methods of analysis, and quantitative modelling techniques, with a focus on their application to the unique properties of language research and linguistics data.Course Hours:3 units; H(3-0)Prerequisite(s):Consent of the program.